Button-hole finishing and staying machine



(No Model.) r

R.-W. THOMSON 80 E. MXPHELPS.

:BUTTON HOLE FINISHING AND STAYING MACHINE. No. 416,653. Pa tentedDeo. 3, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC ROBERT W. THOMSON AND EUGENE M. PHELPS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE CONSOLIDATED BUTTON HOLE- FINISHING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NASHUA,-NEW HAMPSHIRE. i

BUTTON-HOLE FINISHING AND STAYING lVlACHlNEl SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,653, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed April 26. 1887. Serial No. 236,220. (No model.)

To all whom it pray concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT W. THOMSON and EUGENE M. PHELPS, both of Lynn, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Button-Hole Finishing and Staying Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

IO This invention relates to mechanism for gathering in the loose ends left by buttonworking machines and whipping over the same.

The nature of this invention is fully described and specifically claimed hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the under side front half of the machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the top front portion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a side elezo vation of one of the clamp-plates detached.

This invention is designed for use in connection with stitch-forming mechanisms now in general use. To this end We take one of the machines manufactured by the Singer Manufacturing Company, wherein the needle is given a vertically-reciprocating and laterally vibrating or zigzag movement. This machine is known to the trade as the Singer Overseaming Machine. To the under or 0 bottom side of thebed-plate of said machine is pivoted the cam plate A. The form and general contour of this plate is fully represented in Fig. 1. Said cam engages the end of a lever B, which is reciprocated by the 5 shuttle-oscillating rod D, the effect being to drive the cam-plate forward in the direction as indicated by the arrow at every time the shuttle turns. Said cam A also engages the pins 4 4, which pins extend up through the machine-plate and fix into the plates or gathering-fingers 5 5, the fingers being pivoted, as shown, to the top side of the machine plate or bed.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the cam A, moving forward as indicated by arrow a, operates to close together the pins 4 4, and thereby draws together the rear ends, and consequently opens apart the forward ends of the plates or gathering-fingers 5 5. The plates 5 5 are opened outward against the springs 6 6, and these springs operate to close together the fingers whenever the cam A recedes to permit it. The timing of the parts are such as to open and close the feedfingers every complete reciprocation of the needle-that is, in other Words, every time the machine completes a stitch. The fingers 5 5 are hung loosely on their pivoting-pins, and

are split at their forward ends, as shown, the

' through the material on one side of the line of thrums, engages the under or shuttle thread, and lifts upward in the usual manner. The fingers then open outward, while the material feeds forward to extend beyond any of the cords or thrums that may have escaped the previous engagement of the fingers. Then the fingers cl'ose inward again, bringing the thrums into line, while the needle next descends through the material on the opposite side of the thrum-line, and there engaging the shuttle-thread lifts as before.

It may be obvious that instead of employing one needle having a vibratory movement laterally, as described, two needles may be used without vibratory movement laterally.

In such case one of said needles would descend upon either side of the thrum-line, and such a two-needle machine has already been described by us in applications for Letters 0 Patent filed in the United States PatentOffice on the 17th of February and 26th of April, 1887, numbered 227,989, 236,218, and 236,219, and we do not claim herein the devices and combination of devices embodied 5 in the claims of the above-mentioned pending application's.

We do not claim in this application a pair of vertically operating levers supported beneath the needle-hole plate and adapted to I00 be projected upwardly through openings in' said plate to form a channel for the bar-cord and thrum end; nor do We claim a pair of vertically-operating levers supported beneath the needle-hole plate and adapted to be projected through openings therein to form a channel for the bar-cord and thrum ends, with means for contracting the points directly in front of the needle, as this subject-matter will be found particularly described and claimed in an application filed by us on the 17th day of February, 1887, Serial No. 227,989.

We clai1n 1. In a machine for finishing and staying button-hole pieces, the combin ation,with feeding and stitch-forming mechanism, of adevice for gathering and arranging into line before the needle the bar-cord and loose ends of threads employed in Working the buttonholes and left projecting therefrom, as set forth, said device consisting of two separate points arranged in front of the needle, devices for separating the points from each other to engage the thrums, and devices for bringing the points together to compress the cord and thrums, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for finishing button-hole pieces, the combination of feeding and stitchforming mechanism, substantially as described, the independent levers 5 5, pivotally connected to the machine and having the upwardly-projecting points, a cam for opening said levers and separating the points, and means for closing the levers'and compressing together the points, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of substantially the construction described, the combination, With the feeding and sewing mechanism and presserfoot, of the pivoted levers 5 5, having the upwardlyprojecting points, positive means for moving the points laterally to open them, and automatic means forclosing the same, and means, substantially as described, for lifting and pressing upward the ends of said levers, causing them to bear upward under the material and machine presser-foot, as described.

ROBERT W. THOMSON. EUGENE M. PHELPS. Witnesses:

(1.. B. TUTTLE, S. W. WINsLoW. 

